Box or can provided with means for opening same.



No. 633,986. Patented Oct. 3, 1899. A. CAMERON, IR. 80! 08 CM! PROVIDEDWITH HEARS FOB DPEMNG SAME.

(Application filed Jan. 3, 1899.

{In Ilodet;

lNVENTOR W ITN ESSES UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn;

ALEXANDER CAMERON, JR, or RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

BOX OR CAN PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR OPENING SAME.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 633,986, dated October3, 1899.

I application filed January 3, 1899. Serial 1Y0. 700,987. (No model.)

To all whom, it mar concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER CAMERON,

J12, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the countyof Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Boxes or Cans Proboxes or cans provided with means foropenvided with Means for Opening the Same; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in said knife or cutter extends orprojects over the outer edge or surface of said boxer can, the saidcutter being located at such a distance from the vertical flange of thecover that it can i be applied over'the outer edge of the can and rest,during shipment, between the outer surface of thecan and the innersurface of the cover, and when said cover is "removed will spring backto a vertical position, so as to be in line with the tagger top when thecover is applied to the canto cut out thesaidtop. 7

It also consists of ajcanf having a'perrnanent thin top and aremovablecover, which is provided on its under side with a downwardlyextendingfixed knife orcutter and a packing interposed between thesaid knife orcutter and the vertical fiangeof the cover, whereby when the cover isplaced on the can, so that the said knife or cutterextends or projectsoverthe outer edge or surface of said box or can, the said. cutter willbe prevented from. being bent too far outwardpand'thus renderedincapable of returning to a vertical position when the said cover isremoved from the can for the purpose of putting out the tagger top whendesired to open-thecan, the flange of the outer cover being cut away ontheline with the knife or cutter to assist in removing thepacking-strip. a v I 7 In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is aperspective view of a box or can, showing the removable cover slightlyraised above the same, with thepacking-strip removed. Fig. 2is aninverted perspective view of the removable cover with the packing-stripin position on the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a can,showingthe cover in the act of being applied to the same and partly brokenaway; and Fig.4 is'a vertical longitudinal section through the cover inposition on 'the can as it appearsiwhen being transported.

A in the drawings representspa box or can, which is constructedcireularin shape and may be of any suitable material, preferably tin. The box orcan is provided with a permanent thin top B, sometimes termed a taggertop, for hermetically sealing the contents of the can.

0 represents an outer removable cover,

which is made slightly larger than the box or can and is provided with aknife or cutter D, which is preferably stamped out of the materialconstituting the cover, but may be secured thereto in any suitablemanner. The

knife extends vertically from the under side,

of the cover and isarranged very close to the vertical flange c of thesaid removable cover. The said, flange is also preferably provided withasc nt-away portion 0, in line with the knife or cutter, for a purposeas will be here- I inafter described. i

, -When it is desired to place the removable 1 cover onthe can for thepurpose of shipment, and 'sothatithe knife or cutter will not penetratethe taggerto'p, thesame is applied to the saidcan'by first inclining thecover slightly, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the knife or cutter willbear upon the outer surface thereof; When this is done; the cover canthen be com pletely placed on'the cangasshown in'Fig'. 4, a

and it will be observed that the knife or cutter willf'be on the outsideof the loa nga'nd all lia av bility of the knife or cutter penetratingthe tagger top is overcome; Y

Inorder toprevent the knife or cutter being e o a wardl so that itcannot re:

turn to a verticalposition to be in line with the tagger'top when it isdesired ,to cut out the same, I interpose-a piece of packing E of I I aany suitable material, but preferably'of card board, between the cutterand the inner surface of the vertical flange." By this constructhrownaway and the outer removable cover replaced to protect the goods untilthey are.

tion and arrangement, as stated above, the knife will be preventedfronrbeing forced too far outwardly.

In applying the cover to the can the flange portion of the cover willyield slightly to the pressure which is brought to bear on it, the

cover being so fficiently large and sufficiently yielding to admit ofthis and yet fit tightly on the body of the can. From practical experience I .have found thisto workexceocb ingly satisfactorily.

In order to facilitate the removal of the packing E with the fingers, Ipreferably cut away the vertical flange of the cover, as at o, asclearlyshown in the drawings, by which construction said packing can be readilygrasped. It is not, however, necessary to the successful operation ofthe invention that the cut-away portion should be provided, but it addsto the efficiency of the invention. As

soon as the outereover C is removed and the packing taken out the knifewill immediately spring back to its vertical position again, so thatwhen the cover is againapplied :to the can the cutter will be in linewith the tagger top and in a position to cut out the same.

This is accomplished by pressing down on the cover, which will cause theknife or cutter to penetrate the taggertop,and by revolving the coverthe tagger top can be entirely out out and access had to the goodspacked in the can. The cut-out tagger top can thenbe would be impossibleto apply the cover to the can in the manner above described to preventthe cutter penetrating the tagger top.

Having now described myinvention, What I claim as new, and desiretosecnre by Letters Patent, is-

' 1. A box or can comprising in its construction a suitable body portionhaving a permanent thin top and a removable cover having a verticalflange and provided on its under side with a downwardlyeextending knifeor cutter, anda packing interposed between the knife and the innersurface of the flange of the COVGIQ'HIG cutter being located at such adistance from the fiangeof the cover as to enable it to be applied overthe outer edge of the can and, lie betweenthe said outer edge and theinner surface of the flange of the cover during shipment and when thecover is removed, to spring back into avertical position to be in linewith the top went out the same, substantially as described.

2. A box or cancomprising in its construe tion a suitable body portionhaving a permanent thin top and a removable coverhaving a verticalflangeand provided on its under side with adownwardly-extending knife orcutter, the said flange being cut away in line with the cutter, and apacking interposed be tweenthe knife and the inner surface of the flangeof thecover, the cutter being located at such a distance from the flangeof the cover as to enable it to heapplied over the outer edge of the canand rest between the said outer edge and the inner surface of the flangeof the cover during shipment, and when the cover is removed, to springback into a Vertical position to be in line with the top to cut out thesame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ALEXANDER CAMERON, JR.

Witnesses:

HENRY F. W. SOUTHERN, B. C. SHELL.

